


In the embers

by tenmillionotters



Category: Ghost of Tsushima (Video Game)
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Light Angst, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:08:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26380090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tenmillionotters/pseuds/tenmillionotters
Summary: “You really have a thing for strays, huh?”“Guess that’s why I took you home with me.”Oh no. That was inappropriate. But all he did was laugh, “I guess you could say that. Do you need help with the food?”“No, I’ll be fine, just sit down and relax. It must be hard being a ronin in these times,” suddenly the smile faded from their face, there was something sombre in their eyes. Not that Ryuzo was the prying type, but he was curious why they suddenly got so sad.
Relationships: Ryuzo/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 23





	In the embers

**Author's Note:**

> For Cris

Their life was nothing special, nothing too eventful. Even though it was getting harder, their frugalness in better times had proven to be their smartest decision to date. 

A warm fire and one warm meal a day made life worth living. 

They hummed as they picked up their basket filled with fish. It was enough for a meal and to dry some for later. It was only when they finally observed their surroundings that they noticed the other person who was sitting near the riverbanks. 

It was a man. A straw hat. 

They were a group of travelling ronin. Rather a ronin than a samurai… they shouldn’t think that, they knew that but still. 

He cursed under his breath before tossing his fishing pole aside. No luck today it seemed. 

“Hey, straw hat.” 

Ah, so he hadn’t noticed them yet. “I caught more than enough for myself, I’m about to make dinner. Care to join me?” For a moment he looked bewildered, was that a joke? It probably sounded like one, a very cruel one too. Right now nobody had food to spare. 

“Are you serious?” 

“Of course I am, I live alone. If anything you’d hurt me, I’m harmless.” 

For a good long while, he stared at them in disbelief. Were they really that stupid? Or just good-hearted? There was a pain in his expression that they couldn’t read. Almost as if he was remembering something… _someone_. 

“What do you want in return?” 

Their body tensed up for a second, something in return? “I don’t want anything? Is that really how you’re going to talk to someone who just wants to be kind to you?” Maybe they were too harsh, people were so focused on themselves in these times, but they never let anyone go hungry. 

“I’m sorry. Where do you live?” 

“It’s not far away from here,” they picked their basket up again and started walking ahead. A gentle tune escaped their lips as they continued on their way back to their small house. Living alone was easy when you were still young. Maybe even more convenient. 

The sound of their sandals against the dry dirt made them feel more at ease, they were finally back home. “Kota! Come here.” 

Ruyzo nearly jumped at the sight of a Mongolian dog, but all it did was run happily towards them. “Sorry I made you wait so long boy, did you watch the house?” He proudly placed his paw on his owner’s leg as they bend down to pet him. 

“How did you…” 

“I found him in the forest, he was injured and left behind…”, they wouldn’t elaborate on their owner lying dead next to him, “So I took him in and nursed him back to health. He is a good boy. Right? You’re the best Kota.” 

“You really have a thing for strays, huh?” 

“Guess that’s why I took you home with me.” 

Oh no. That was inappropriate. But all he did was laugh, “I guess you could say that. Do you need help with the food?” 

“No, I’ll be fine, just sit down and relax. It must be hard being a ronin in these times,” suddenly the smile faded from their face, there was something sombre in their eyes. Not that Ryuzo was the prying type, but he was curious why they suddenly got so sad. 

“My father always said, be kind to everyone you meet, but that is not something everyone does, you know? I’ve met ronin who were kinder than samurai,” they shouldn’t say things like that but it was just how they felt, “I often feel like the jito doesn’t really care about us. Maybe because we’re so detached from the life he leads, he can’t know us all. But ronin understand our struggles, keep this to yourself okay?” 

Their smile returned and Ryuzo felt more at ease. He didn’t like seeing them troubled. The world wasn’t a perfect place, he knew that but still, some people should never have to face tragedy. 

“I hope you’re not a picky eater, I cannot offer more than rice, soup and grilled fish. Lord Kota also wants to eat.” 

A soft bark escaped the dog who made himself comfortable next to Ryuzo. 

“How long have you lived here?” 

“All my life. I buried my parents here. This isn’t a place I could ever leave behind… sorry but what’s your name?” 

“Ryuzo.” 

They smiled and nodded, “What a beautiful name. I’m sure whoever gave it to you loved you dearly.” 

His face began to glow, but so did the small fire around which they had gathered, so it was okay. Even if they noticed they didn’t say anything, but in his state of blissful confusion he forgot to ask for their name. 

Instead, he began watching them attentively. They were a skilled cook, he was more of a pragmatic cook. 

“It is an art form, you know, making the most of the little you get,” they were peeling a root vegetable he had never seen before, cutting it into small pieces before putting it in a pot with their soup. Once they were satisfied with their root chunk’s little dance in the hot liquid, they turned their attention to long, slender green leaves. 

“My mother brought these plants with her from the island she grew up on. I forgot their name… but they always remind me of her. I’m always glad to share them with others.” 

The embers were dancing in front of his eyes, “I don’t really remember my mother, she died too soon. Left me behind with my father.” Who never really cared about him, but at least he got food on the table. Well. Sometimes he did. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Silence fell between them, but not because of contempt. Ryuzu’s saviour was focused on preparing a meal for him. They were cooking the rice and soup at the same time, made sure the fish didn’t burn. Every now and then Kota began whining until Ryuzo petted him again. Now they were brothers, hungry brothers who waited for the food to be ready. 

“Looks good,” they licked their thumb and smiled, “Let me get some bowls.” The vanished inside their little hut and returned carrying enough bowls for all 3 of them, “Kota only likes grilled fish and sweet potatoes.” Ryuzo hadn’t even noticed that they were roasting one in the coals. “But this is all too hot for him, so he has to wait a little longer for his food.” 

Their eyes met and the smiled, “You don’t have to wait, my sweet stray.” 

His body tensed up again, but he took it. They could call him whatever they wanted as long as he got something to eat. There was something tender in the way they prepared his food for him, from the way they cooked, to the way they served it. Where he was pragmatic, they were loving. 

“Here,” their voice had dropped to a low tone, a soothing one, “I hope you enjoy it.” 

“Thank you.” Of course, Ryuzo knew that it was rude to eat before his host, but hunger had kept him awake for days now. He _had_ to eat. But no matter how hungry he was before, he would savour the food. The white root they put into the soup was starchy and a little sweet, the long leaves tasted the best. 

They watched him eat and smiled. He probably didn’t even realise how pleased he looked. There was no better way than to show gratitude than by eating heartily. To them, it tasted like nothing out of the ordinary, it was a good meal, their first and last for today. To him, it was something special, a complete strangers kindness. 

“It tastes warm,” he hadn’t even touched the rice yet, the small piece of sweet potato was still steaming hot, lying next to a generous helping of pure white grains. 

“That’s good to hear. It always tastes better when you share food with others.” 

Ryuzo swallowed hard. Could it be that he had met a kami? But he didn’t deserve this kind of luck, he was a traitor, he was a terrible person and still, they offered him nothing but kindness. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“What…” 

Their hands gently cupped his face, “You don’t have to cry.” 

He could only nod, they didn’t understand anything and he didn’t want them to. If they believed that they were feeding a good person, he didn’t want to break that illusion. In reality, they just took in another mongol dog. 

All that was left to do was to eat his meal quietly, in sober regret. 

“Would you like some more? There is still soup and rice.” 

They had leaned forward, their face glowing with the last embers in the campfire. 

“You have already been so generous, I can’t -” 

“Oh don’t be so shy,” they laughed heartily, “You’re a big boy! You need to eat. Kota and I will be fine, I have to slaughter one of my chickens tomorrow. That will get us through the next few weeks.” 

As he passed his bowl to them, their hands touched for a brief moment. It wasn’t like he missed company or someone’s touch, but he _yearned_ for theirs. Something had struck him when they had touched him for the fraction of a milisecond. 

Carefully, they scooped out the rests of their soup and handed it over to Ryuzo. 

“I love watching you eat.” 

A little piece of the white root got stuck in his throat and he began coughing. They only laughed and gently patted his back, “You’re the most eager eater who has visited me recently.” 

“Only second to Kota of course.” 

The dog barked softly, he couldn’t be bothered. 

“Let me help you clean up,” it was the least he could do to show his gratitude, but they waved their hand infront of their face and laughed again. The sweet laugh that pierced right through him. 

“It’s fine, just stay with Kota.” 

The dog was lazy. His stomach was full and he knew that his master was safe. He watched Ryuzo out of the corner of his eye and offered him the empty spot next to him. It was time to sleep. 

Kota breathed easy, he didn’t have any worries, meanwhile Ryuzo’s mind was too loud. His men were so blindly and happily obedient to the mongols because he was too. At first that meant _only_ betraying Jin. These words would come back to haunt him later; what hurt now was knowing that they might hurt his new friend. 

When all they had to give was kindness. 

“Ryuzo,” he was awoken by a gentle touch. Did he fall asleep? 

“Come inside, you don’t have to sleep in the cold.” 

It was already dark out, maybe he should stay, just for a night. Was it too much to ask for a little bit of normalcy for once? He wouldn’t fight this time, he just followed them inside their little home. 

“Kota likes sleeping outside, it’s too hot in here,” they didn’t look at him as they undressed. Ryuzo tried not to stare but he couldn’t help it. He only took off so much of his armour that he was comfortable sleeping. 

For a moment he was as helpless as a newborn deer, looking around for comfortable spot to lie down on. 

“Come here.” 

The little cloth that covered their body only made them look more attractive to him. He was still hungry, but the hungerpangs he felt now were different than the ones before. 

“It gets lonely out here,” when they laughed now it sounded so different, “I hope I’m not overstepping your boundaries.” Their arms slung around him like snakes, pulled him in, he was weak. 

How wonderful would his life be if he could just stay with them forever. Just the two of them. And little Kota. 

He felt their head burry deep into his chest, they inhaled his scent and made a sound that he couldn’t even describe. 

“You smell really good.” 

Should he do something or was he overstepping boundaries himself? 

“Is there any way I can repay you for your kindness?” 

Something flickered in their eyes, something that told him that all of his hungers would be satisfied tonight. “Kiss me.” 

How could he say no? Their mouth tasted sweet, just like the rice that they had cooked for him. His tongue slipped into their mouth with ease, they wanted to feel him close, opened up to him. 

His hands ran over their body, he wanted to feel them. Taste them. It was hard to move away, break up the kiss and gasp for air, but it was worth it. They were beautiful, with their hair messed up, their eyes glistening and their lips sore from kissing. It had been a while for both of them, huh? 

He felt their hand slip under his kimono, caressing his chest. There was a question in their eyes, he only smiled and began undressing himself. For a moment they stopped breathing, before inhaling sharply. Their hands were much smaller than his, but they still eagerly explored every inch of his body. 

“I should be the one taking care of you,” Ryuzo gently pushed them back and took their nagajuban off, their chest was trembling as he kissed it gently. His fingers dug into their thighs as he worked his way down between their legs. There was no hiding what they both wanted. 

Their skin was soft, in the right places. He inhaled their scent deeply, it was sweet and a little earthy, they smelled like the forest and sunshine. Like a life in which he would know true happiness. 

His tongue touched their most sensitive part and they arched their back in surprise. Ryuzo was more beast than man, but that was okay with them. His tongue began flicking against the smallest bit of resistance he felt, he licked and sucked on them eagerly. Lapped up all the sweetness they could give him. 

Their fingers entangled in his hair, it was so soft and silky. He took good care of himself, that much was clear. 

Hearing them moan so lustfully made him gently rub his impatient cock against the tatami mat which they shared. This was a hunger, a longing, that he could control. He knew it almost as well as his longing for food. 

But there was an even greater satisfaction in drawing out this pain.

It let him dream. He forgot everything for a while; the war, the pain, Jin. It was all gone. Now there was only him and his nameless lover. His own kami, his saviour, the love of his life… for a night. 

“Ryuzo slow down please -” 

He knew that they didn’t want him to, they just wanted the feeling to linger a little longer. Of course he wanted the same, but at the same time he wanted to feel them come, gasp for air as if they were drowning. For a moment they would die, he would hold them. He wouldn’t leave their side. He would love them. 

Forever. 

If forever spanned one night together. 

His lips closed around them, he began sucking and licking them with more sinister intentions on his mind. He wanted them to come, _for him_. 

How easily they crumbled under his touch. They fell apart. Their orgasm shook their body violently, they couldn’t help but cry out his name. 

“P-Please… I want you now.” 

Who was he to refuse them this pleasure? His hand wrapped around his cock, he generously stroked it. Not that he wasn’t already hard, but he couldn’t just give them what they wanted. 

Their eyes met when he positioned himself ready to enter them, they wrapped their arms around his neck and smiled. One heavy thrust and they felt him stretch them out. Fill them up. He was so thick and large, not that they didn’t expect it, but after months, _years_ they had spent alone in these woods it was overwhelming. 

But he was a gentle lover, so gentle it made them want to cry. Ryuzo moved slowly, he kissed them and left a tickling feeling on their skin. They wanted more, they wanted him. So much. 

At first he only exhaled quicker, but then he began to grunt, to growl. 

“More…” 

He cursed under his breath and then he laughed, “Oh you want more?” Their frame was so small compared to his, he could pull them up with ease and he did. In shock, the held onto him. 

“Ryuzo, what are you doing?!” 

“Giving you exactly what you want.” Their lips locked as he pressed them up against a wall, fucking into them relentlessly. 

How sweetly he kissed them. How hard he took them in return for it. It was almost painful to feel him move inside them so deeply, but it was also intoxicating. He ruined them. How could they ever be this close to someone else after this? 

His large hands pressed their legs up to a point where it almost hurt but was still bearable. He opened them up further for him, made it easier to feel himself vanish in their love. If everything could just melt away, if only the world around them could stop existing for a moment, how beautiful that would be. 

“R-Ryuzo…” 

He growled into another heated kiss. Their wettness dripped down on the floor, he mixed his own into it. It was tight, greedy. This hole in which he burried his longing. His lover was a cannibal and he wanted them to consume him whole. 

It felt like a pulse, opening and closing, the more he pushed into them, the tighter they got. Just as they were about to come, he pulled back. Their legs were shaking as he carefully put them down. 

“What are you doing?” 

They were dizzy, a little upset too. 

“Get on all fours.” 

Was he a man or a beast? 

Were they a fool for following his orders? 

Ryuzo kissed their sore back and made them squeal. Now it made sense. 

He towered over them, his large fingers sunk into their hips as he pulled them back on his cock. The feeling was even more intense now. They began kicking their feet, moaning loudly and mindlessly. For a second, the world around them stopped existing for a while. 

There was no life they led without him, for a moment they were the only people in the world. 

He moved harder, thrust into them mercilessly. They were so wet and inviting. All their love, all their kindness, he repaid them for it in his own way. The only way he knew. The only love he had to give. 

“I-I’m coming-” 

“Come for me.” 

His teeth sunk into their shoulder as their body squeezed his cock. With an angry growl he released his hot semen inside of them. It had been months since he last came. Years. 

He had no idea when he would stop coming; his semen spilled out of their hole even before he pulled back. 

Their limp body feel back onto the tatami, they breathe heavily. They were still with him. 

“I’m cold.” 

Was that how people said they wanted to be held these days? Ryuzo chuckled and shook his head. He pulled them so close that all they could see was him. For a moment there was only them. For a moment they were more than a chance encounter. 

They loved each other till the end of their lives. 

If forever lasted a night.


End file.
